O TASTE & SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD
Ps. 34:8
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: IT’S BEEN TOO LONG
1. When a Lady asked her friend if she was planning to attend church, she just shook her head. "I haven't gone in a long time," she said.
2. "Besides, it's too late for me. I've probably already broken all seven commandments."
B. THE JOYS OF EATING
1. Food is a gift from God. Ps. 103:5 says, “Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
2. Q- “What is it that makes your mouth ‘water?’” I think of barbecue brisket, a good steak sizzling on the grill, real potato fries or onion rings, a good juicy hamburger, raw chocolate-chip cookie dough, sausage-biscuits & gravy, a good pork-chop, homemade yeast bread & honey, a pot-roast with potatoes & carrots in the crockpot...
3. Q- “Is there any food you never tried until you were older and wish you had tried it earlier?”
C. TEXT
“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed. 6 This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Ps. 34:1-8 NKJV
I. DAVID USES THE LANGUAGE OF EXPERIENCE
A. SOUNDS LIKE A SENSE-TEST
1. David uses the language of experience; touch, taste, seeing, hearing, smelling. Of the 5 senses, taste is the most personal.
2. SIGHT can be used at great distance from the object it’s looking at; you can see stars hundreds of light-years away. With HEARING, we can hear thunder or explosions 20 miles away. We can SMELL cattle feedlots up to 10-15 miles away or more. With TOUCH, we have to actually come into contact with the thing we’re investigating. TASTE is even more personal -- you have to insert the food or drink INTO YOUR BODY in order to test it experimentally.
3. Our eyes and ears may deceive us, but seldom our taste. None of us distrust the evidence of our own senses.
4. Christians today are in three distinct classes; first, those who hear without seeing; those who both hear and see, without tasting; and those who do all three — to whom "faith comes by hearing," in whom faith grows by seeing, in whom faith is perfected and completed by tasting. (Thomas Dale)
B. WHAT ARE WE TASTING? THE GOODNESS OF GOD!
1. God’s goodness is best recognized by contrasting it with the character of supposed deities in the world. Think of the character depicted of the mythical gods.
2. Zeus & Hera of the Greeks were very immoral and vengeful. Odin, of the Germans/Vikings, was best known as a deceiver and murderer, even of his own family. Shiva, of the Hindu religion, is known as “The Destroyer.” Ogwugwu-Mmiri, an African deity, will never forgive you. Allah, of Islam, can love you today, but for no reason, if he chooses, he might decide to destroy you; he is capricious.
3. Aren’t you glad the True God of the Bible is a good God who is motivated by love for us, and His whole desire is to do us good? Wow! What an amazing thing!
4. OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD!
a. He’s endowed with every positive trait; He is a beautiful Person.
b. He is GIVING (generous & sacrificial) , KIND (has our best in mind), & GRACIOUS (forgiving, loading us down with gifts).
c. We should be encouraged, in the worst of times, to trust in Him.
II. HOW CAN WE “TASTE” GOD?
A. THE SIXTH SENSE
1. The agnostic says that God cannot be known, because He is outside of the sphere of sense. But for 1,000s of years, people have been aware that there’s something beyond the physical realm.
2. It can’t be weighed on a scale, measured with a micrometer, or photographed with a camera, but the majority of people feel a reality beyond this world. We get revelations from nature, from concepts, glimpses of the nether world of angels/spirits, and of an all-pervasive Presence that exists throughout the universe.
3. The Apostle John says that we can actually recognize the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. 1 John 3:24 says, “And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us” (also 1 John 4:13; Rom. 8:16). Paul says, “For in Him we live and move and have our being” Acts 17:28. God’s presence and visible witness are so pervasive (“clearly seen”) throughout God’s creation that we are “without excuse” for not recognizing Him (Rom. 1:20).
B. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO TASTE GOD?
1. The writer of Hebrews, like David, speaks of having "tasted of the heavenly gift." He continues, describing the three ways You can taste of the Heavenly Gift: “and were made partakers of the HOLY SPIRIT, and have tasted the good WORD OF GOD, and the POWERS OF THE WORLD TO COME” Heb. 6:4-5.
2. We can TASTE OF GOD, first, by receiving His wonderful Spirit into our spiritual being. Second, it means to read and ingest God’s Word. Third, it means to experience the miracle-working power of God in this world, and be caught up in worship & experience the presence of God around the throne.
3. On this third point, whenever there are 2 or 3 believers come together to commune with Christ, Jesus’ presence becomes especially manifested (Mt. 18:20).
4. Next we know that “God inhabits the praises of His people” (Ps. 22:3, KJV). Whenever we begin corporately worshipping together, the kingdom of God (in the Holy Spirit) is manifested among us. It’s a Presence that can be felt. If the gifts of the Spirit are present, then even unbelievers will feel that presence, see its signs, and exclaim, “Surely God is among you!” (1 Cor. 14:25).
III. LET’S STIR-UP OUR TASTE-BUDS!
A. REMEMBERING GOD’S GOODNESS
Every now and then we need to play the game called “REMEMBER WHEN...”
1. Remember when you didn’t have two dimes to rub together, but now you’ve got a mutual fund and stock options.
2. Remember when you had to wear hand-me-down clothes but now you got more clothes than you need?
3. Do you remember the times HE protected you? It’s almost as if “Sniff, Sniff, Sniff”... something’s cooking here... but ain’t Campbell chicken noodle soup! David said, “O taste and see that the Lord is good!” In other words, “Here! Take a spoon full of this! I know that you will like it!”
B. ILLUSTRATION
1. I’m reminded of a commercial that I saw as a child, growing up ... about three little boys sitting around a table trying to decide who’s going to be the first one to try the new brand of cereal.
2. None wants to be the first, then they think of one-of-their little brother. It’s as if a light bulb went on, and one of them said, “Let’s get Mickey and see if he will eat it.” Evidently, Mickey is a picky eater; if Mickey likes it, then they’d probably all like it. Mickey tries it, likes it, and the boys exuberantly shout, that since he likes it, they’ll try it.
3. Instead of cereal, we’re talking about JESUS! He wants us to try HIM for ourselves; “O taste and see that the Lord is good” ... in other words, here take a spoon full of this, I know you’re going to like it!
C. ONLY JESUS WILL SATISFY YOU!
1. David is saying, “Try the Lord and...”
- He will be your Way Maker ... making a way when there’s no way.
- He will be your bread when you hungry;
- Water when your thirsty;
- your Help in the time of trouble,
- A mother to the motherless,
- A father to the fatherless,
- Hope for your despair,
- Power for your perplexities,
- Peace for your anxieties,
- Truth to counter your lies,
- Healing for your hurts,
- Rest for the weary
(Sniff, Sniff, Sniff --- something is cooking ... and it is the goodness of the Lord!)
2. Try Jesus and HE will ...
- Turn your guilt into “NOT GUILTY;”
- Turn death into external life,
- Turn your darkness into light,
- Your hatred into love,
- Take you from bondage to freedom,
- From tribulation to triumph,
- From grief to joy,
- From gloom to glory,
- From defeat to victory,
- From failure to success,
- From fear to faith,
- From I can’t, to “I CAN do all things through Christ who strengths me.”
3. Try Him for yourself and I promise you, that He will take care of you. No matter your circumstances, no matter your situations ... God will see you through! “O taste and see that the Lord is good.”
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: WHATEVER CAPACITY WILL BE FILLED
1. During a time of great scarcity of food and poverty, the Government decided to open 'Soup-kitchens' where the poor could receive a daily ration of food, free of charge. Many took advantage of the free supply.
2. One day two women came to the soup kitchen, one carrying a very large vessel and the other a small jug. The latter said to the former, “You don't think you'll get THAT filled, do you?” “Well! I’m bringing this in hopes of having it filled,” came the reply.
3. When the distribution began, the woman with the small jug went first, and her jug was filled to the brim. Then she waited, and, to her surprise, her neighbor's very large vessel was also filled to the brim. Each obtained according to her capacity.
4. God too, will honor our faith, and fill us to the level we desire!
B. THE CALL
1. Let’s pray for hunger tonight. How many want a new infilling of the Holy Spirit?
2. PRAYER
[This is a rewrite of Kelvin Parks’ message, “Sniff, Sniff, Sniff...Something is Cooking."]
